Chamber of Reminiscence
The Chamber of Reminiscence is a ritual chamber in which the iz’kal store their history. Story Tall and impossibly beautiful, the gates towered above the small party. They were covered in exquisite carvings depicting a beautiful city that was no more. The grand doors, inducing mixed feelings of awe and tranquility, guarded the entrance to the Chamber of Reminiscence, a sacred place in which the Iz’kal stored their history in resonance stones. At first, Keler had been reluctant. Entering the chambers was considered a serious offense - let alone stealing the Greatstone - but after the last meeting he had come to realize that the Council would never support his request unless he had a way of forcing their hand. Finally, he sought out Fassir and agreed to work with him. The plan was simple enough: they would enter the Chamber of Reminiscence on the night of the Reckoning (the anniversary of the night the Korian were annihilated) when no one was guarding it. That was where Fassir’s help would be invaluable. As counselor and guardian of the memories, he was in charge of the keys to the chamber. Keler could sense the unease of his companions as if it was his own, or maybe it was his own uneasiness that tinted all of their thoughts through the hyperlink. He wasn’t sure, but at this point it didn’t matter. Each and every one of them was committed to the plan. Each and every one was aware of the consequences should something go wrong. And they knew that this was what had to be done if they wanted to be heard. Just outside the chamber, Keler took out the crystal key. The size of a clenched fist, the key shone with a pale blue light that casted gloomy shadows around them. He approached the keyhole and inserted the crystal into the square opening. Light radiated from the stone, along the carvings in the doors like rivers flowing through twisted paths. Suddenly, the light vanished and the doors opened in total silence. They stood at the edge of a large circular pit that extended downwards as far as the eye could see. A thin metal walkway led from the doorway to a spiral staircase situated in the center of the opening, which descended to the bottom of the pit. Additional walkways radiated from the staircase towards the walls at every level. The walls were lined with resonance stones that were the size of skulls. And they were shaped like skulls too, glowing with a tenuous red light, like embers on a dark night. Every step along the walkway was announced by a metallic clang that echoed down the pit, a bright sound that invaded the absolute silence that reigned over the place. As they reached the staircase and began their long trip down, they felt exposed, as though they were being watched by the thousands of stones lining the walls, staring at them with accusatory but vacant eyes. After a time that felt like an eternity, they reached the bottom of the pit and found themselves facing a low tunnel, a bright white light visible at the other end. Slightly bent so as to avoid the ceiling of the corridor, they walked the short distance that separated them from their objective, their fear and anxiety conquered by a much stronger feeling of reverence. They reached the Chamber of Ascension, the only thing visible in it a prism-shaped crystal that irradiated a bright white light, in spite the rest of the room which was covered in absolute darkness. Keler stretched his hand towards the stone but froze midway. Fear, primal and savage, flooded his thoughts, so intense that for a moment he thought he might faint. As soon as he recovered, he turned around looking for the source of the commotion. His eyes focused on a lone figure standing in the opening of the corridor they had just crossed. Despite its relaxed stance, it was impossible to ignore the threat it posed, and its eyes were unmistakably filled with contempt and the promise of death. Keler’s mind raced as he tried to find a way out of their situation. Even if voidwalkers were as powerful as the stories told, this one was still alone against nine high sevans, powerful and capable casters. His thoughts were quickly echoed by those around him as they prepared to fight their uninvited guest. Keler would have been amazed by the speed with which the figure moved towards his companions, if only he had been alive when it happened. A second figure gently held his lifeless body as it fell, before joining the first in a terrible dance of death. Source Material This short story first appeared in Rulebook v1.0. Category:Short Stories Category:Story Seed Category:Iz'kal